La Liga: Weekly Newsletter
February 21, 2020

Issue No. 5
LULAC.org

Good morning,

The State of Latino America Summit is just five days away and we are excited to welcome all our participants. Let’s take a moment to highlight our honorees for the 23rd Annual LULAC National Legislative Awards Gala.

By Diego Tum-Monge

Who are our Honorees?

LULAC is nominating three congressional leaders of the 116th Congress for their distinguished efforts to strengthen the nation’s democracy and to empower our communities.

National Freedom and Justice Award

The Honorable Sylvia Garcia

U.S. Representative, TX 29th District

As stated on Representative Garcia’s congressional website:

Before her time as a U.S. Representative, Congresswoman Sylvia R. Garcia was sworn in to the Texas State Senate on March 11, 2013, representing Senate District 6. She became the seventh woman and the third Hispanic woman to serve in the upper chambers after winning a special runoff election for the seat of the late Senator Mario Gallegos.

In 2018, Sylvia ran to represent her community, country and family in Congress. On Jan 3, 2019 she was inaugurated to represent Texas Congressional District 29. She became the first Hispanic member of the Houston Congressional Delegation and one of the first two Latinas to represent the State of Texas in the U.S. Congress.

Read more about the Representative’s background.

LULAC shares a special thanks with Representative Garcia for joining us last October for our Freedom Walk and Community Gathering in Houston.

National Legislative Award

The Honorable Veronica Escobar

U.S. Representative, TX 16th District

As stated on Representative Escobar’s congressional website:

Congresswoman Veronica Escobar took office on January 3, 2019 as a member of the U.S. House of Representatives after making history as the first woman elected to this seat and the first of two Latinas from Texas to serve in Congress, along with Representative Sylvia Garcia.

Congresswoman Escobar serves on the prestigious House Judiciary Committee, as well as the House Armed Services Committee. She serves in leadership positions on both the Congressional Hispanic Caucus (CHC) and the Congressional Progressive Caucus (CPC), as the Freshman Representative and Vice Chair, respectively. She is also a member of the New Democrat Coalition, and the Democratic Women’s Working Group, where she serves as Co-Chair of the Immigration Taskforce.

Read more about the Representative’s background.

Representative Escobar, LULAC thanks you for standing #ElPasoStrong and for supporting our communities.

National Legislative Award

The Honorable Will Hurd

U.S. Representative, TX 23rd District

As stated on Representative Hurd’s congressional website:

Congressman Will Hurd is a San Antonio native and Texas A&M Computer Science Graduate. Hurd previously worked as an undercover officer in the CIA, and he realized that his expertise in cybersecurity and intelligence was sorely needed in Congress. Since being elected in 2014, Will has continued to deliver bipartisan results for the 800,000 Texans he calls his “bosses” by working with anyone – regardless of politics and party to help make sure our kids are ready for the future, that our country is safe and that the United States will always be the leader of the free world. Texas Monthly and Politico Magazine have called him “the Future of the GOP.” His efforts to put good policy over good politics have clearly struck a chord in a country that is often consumed with what divides us instead of what unites us.

Read more about the Representative.

LULAC would like to thank Representative Hurd for serving your constituents in Texas’s 23rd District.

State of Latino America Summit

This prominent annual event highlights critical legislative issues affecting Hispanic Americans and recognizes key leaders who have served the Latino community well. LULAC will host a policy summit with Members of Congress, their staff and Hispanic leaders from across the country on February 26 to address key policy priorities for 2020. Included are several panels of experts who will be discussing issues of vital importance to the Hispanic community including health care, immigration reform, technology, education, the environment, Puerto Rico, the Census and various other significant social needs. See the agenda.

Emerge Latino Conference

This three-day leadership conference experience is designed to transform the lives of college students and young professional Latinos from across the country by engaging with career opportunities in Washington, D.C. in addition to building a national network of advocates.

Emerge provides attendees with public policy briefings, in-depth training in civic engagement, advocacy, and professional growth. Participants then explore job opportunities and ask questions about working in various fields and professions.

It is not too late to register for the conference which starts on February 25. Register today!

23rd Annual LULAC National Legislative Awards Gala

LULAC’s Awards Gala celebrates its 23rd year honoring key elected and distinguished leaders who have served Hispanic-Americans and also highlights critical legislative matters affecting our communities. LULAC will host the Gala on February 26, 2020 at the Andrew W. Mellon Auditorium. This event also commemorates LULAC’s 91st Anniversary since our founding on February 17, 1929.

Proceeds from the LULAC National Legislative Awards Gala support the important work of the LULAC National Office. This includes LULAC’s policy and legislative advocacy, as well as its organizing of Hispanic communities through the formation of LULAC councils throughout the United States. Get your tickets now before space runs out!

WeRun Training Institute

Our communities continue to be disproportionately underrepresented in federal, state, and local governments despite the more than 60 million Latinos in the United States. In 2019, we created WeRun to ensure our communities are actively prepared to close this political leadership gap. LULAC believes that latino leaders need to see themselves in elected positions and help shift the narrative for our community. At WeRun we empower our participants through hands-on training, relevant resources and advanced opportunities to help young Latinos and communities of color launch their political careers.

This year’s training will feature prominent leaders, hands-on workshops and an interactive luncheon conversation with Latino elected officials. Our day’s activities include the “ABCs” of a political campaign, filing, fundraising, building a field plan, getting endorsements and communications training. See the agenda and register!

Ford Driving Dreams Grants Program
Deadline to apply is March 31

Ford Motor Company Fund and LULAC are seeking to award eight seed grants of $20,000 through the Ford Driving Dreams Grants program for LULAC Councils and their educational partners to participate in the 2020-2022 cycle and develop effective high school dropout prevention programs in their respective communities,

To date, Ford Driving Dreams has funded 82 programs and supported the education of over 2,485 students across the country.

LULAC is currently accepting submissions through a RFP until March 31. Access the application here.

For questions, contact Melissa Cossio at [email protected] or visit LULAC.org/ford.

Latina Entrepreneur Academy
Deadline to apply is February 24 at 4 p.m. (PST)

Our goal is to motivate, train and inspire Latinas and other women to succeed in their own businesses. The 3-day academy will have a series of educational workshops on topics such as building a business plan, budgeting, marketing, and networking. For more information and to download the RFP, visit LULAC.org/academy or email [email protected].

Let’s Stop HIV Together
Deadline to apply is February 21 at 6 p.m (PST)

The Let’s Stop HIV Together campaign--in partnership with the Center for Disease Control and Prevention PACT program, formerly known as Act Against AIDS--aims to stop HIV stigma and promote HIV testing, prevention, care and awareness in our communities. Through this initiative, LULAC will award 10 stipends of $2,000 to LULAC councils or partners to host efforts around the mission of the initiative. For more information, visit LULAC.org/salud/opportunities or email [email protected].

Upcoming Primaries and Caucuses

Saturday, February 22: Nevada Democratic caucuses
The first state with a significant Hispanic population and 36 Democratic delegates.

WATCH: Domingo Garcia on CNN speaking about the issues that are important to Latinos in Nevada and across the U.S.
Wednesday, February 20

Democrats Court Diverse Voters in Nevada
Tuesday, February 18

The Los Angeles Times shares how various presidential candidates are reaching out to Nevada’s Latino community from the perspective of local organizers and voters.

More parents deported without their kids may be able to return to the U.S.
Tuesday, February 18

CBS News follows the stories of deported parents who were allowed by the U.S. District Court in San Diego to return to the U.S., reunite with their children and seek asylum after being unlawfully deported. Advocate groups such as the ACLU are working hard to reach and represent many more parents with cases like Fernando Arredondo, but some parents are “unreachable.”

Reader discretion is advised: Gun Violence.

More from last week’s LULAC Presidential Town Hall in Nevada…

MIRA: Las promesas migratorias de cuatro precandidatos demócratas a los latinos
Friday, February 14

Telemundo reporta: “Bernie Sanders, Pete Buttigieg, Amy Klobuchar y Tom Steyer participaron en un foro organizado por la organización LULAC y Telemundo donde detallaron sus planes para los latinos en Estados Unidos.”

WATCH: LULAC’s Live Broadcast of the Presidential Town Hall in Las Vegas, Nevada
Thursday, February 13

Click here for the FULL Spanish coverage of the event or share Telemundo’s breakdown with your Hispanic family and friends.

LULAC Press Releases

LULAC Calls for Termination of North Brunswick Police Department Director...
Wednesday, February 19

LULAC & NCOA Join Forces In 2020
Tuesday, February 18

LULAC Connects Critical Latino Voting Block With Presidential Candidates In The Key Battleground State Of Nevada
Thursday, February 13

LULAC Historic Court Win Forces Pesticide Off Market
Tuesday, February 11

Use @LULAC and #LULAC for a chance to be in the next issue of La Liga!

That’s it for this week. Stay tuned for a special edition next week!

WHAT’S NEXT?

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